John McCain looked every bit the seething, uncomfortable vanquished rival in that first, awkward post-election press conference on those enormous chairs. It sounds like he's kind of still that way.

The defeated Republican presidential nominee won't be doing any press or TV interviews for "at least several more weeks," his people tell Politico. And he's clearly still angry at former running mate Sarah Palin, for going ROGUE:

He especially wants to avoid discussions about his relationship with Palin, whose nomination as McCain's running mate was either the best or worst thing that happened to his campaign, depending on who you talk to.

McCain is legislatively "back" — Politico reports he delivered some words to the press on his new anti- earmarks legislation with old across-the-aisle-friend Russ Feingold - - but he's not ready to flex the power he still retains as a prominent, senior leader within a fractured and broken party. Which probably is for the best: His campaign encapsulated many of the flaws shredding the Republican Party from within right now.

But McCain plans to spend at least another eight years in the senate. He's in a safe seat. He has clout. And he's saying things like this:

During a GOP-senators retreat this week at the Library of Congress, McCain told his colleagues that Republicans need to reach out more to diverse groups, rather than just relying on Christian conservatives, if they want to regain majority status, according to sources who attended the event.

The ex-fighter pilot has some room to maneuver toward the end of his career. He could spend a career's worth of political altitude on worse things than a broader Republican party.